My favourite is the Oriental Sports Daily’s cover with a huge arrow showing the ball placed across the goal line. The front page even highlights the fact it was almost a replay of Geoff Hurst’s shot in the 1966 final. Who would have thought any other nation would get as wound up as ours defending our pathetic, outclassed side?

For many sport fans in China, a country that does not have a team in the World Cup, yesterday’s game was hotly anticipated. I took a taxi during the match and the driver was listening to the game, with much talk of “Gerrardo” and “Arshry Col” in the Chinese commentary. No doubt, when the “goal that never was” came, there was a resounding “aiyo” from the commentators, the catch-all phrase for frustration, annoyance and surprise, which has become a familiar part of the soundtrack for anyone watching the Chinese broadcasts of World Cup games this summer.

Being witness to a world sporting event like the World Cup while abroad, and seeing the coverage it garners, hammers home the significance of what 11 guys on a football pitch do. It’s a shame the team has failed to live up to what not only England, but also China, expects.

Frank Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany on Sunday on the cover of the Oriental Sports Daily